Members of University Services Sleep Diagnostic & Treatment Centers Wake Up Industries and Communities to the Importance of Sleep for Sleep Awareness Week

University Services’ medical directors and employees address sleep to transportation industry professionals as well as state congress to inform people of the impact of sleep in conjunction with Sleep Awareness Week and Daylight Savings Time.

"We are committed to educating people, physicians, and industries on the significance of sleep," commented Dr. Gerson.

Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) March 04, 2013

University Services Sleep Diagnostic & Treatment Centers’ employees discussed Sleep Awareness Week to members of the Pennsylvania State Congress as well as industry professionals at the National Sleep Foundation’s Sleep Health & Safety Conference in Washington, DC. Dr. Benjamin Gerson, University Services’ CEO, was the chair of this year’s Sleep Health & Safety Conference’s Public Health & Safety Track which focused on protecting Americans from the consequences of fatigue and untreated sleep disorders. Dr. Gerson himself spoke about the importance of identifying sleep apnea in the workplace as well as coordinated speakers from the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Railroad Administration, transit authorities, and major corporations like ExxonMobil and CSX to share their findings on fatigue and sleep disorders in their place of business with hundreds of attendees. Dr. Burton Mark, Medical Director of University Services, also spoke during the Public Health & Safety Track about the various methods commercial operators may use to self-medicate alertness to fight off sleep.

“We are committed to educating people, physicians, and industries on the significance of sleep,” commented Dr. Gerson, “people simply do not realize how truly important sleep is to the human body and this is something we seek to educate to multiple audiences.”

Dr. Gerson is also an officer of the Pennsylvania Sleep Society, and along with Brian Kraft, Center Manager of University Services and President-Elect of the Pennsylvania Sleep Society, successfully petitioned the State Senate to draft a Resolution declaring March 3-10th Sleep Awareness Week in Pennsylvania, culminating with daylight saving time on Sunday March 10th. According to a 2008 study in the New England Journal of Medicine, the number of heart attacks, on average, increase about 5% during the first week after daylight saving time. Another study published in Child Development states the loss of one hour’s sleep is equivalent to a slightly sleepy fifth grader performing in class at a third grade level. During Sleep Awareness Week, University Services Sleep Diagnostic & Treatment Centers’ will be using these statistics regarding daylight saving time to raise awareness among physicians as well as post facts and studies on its Facebook page each day.